The highly aggressive Delta variant, first detected in India, has surfaced in Florida, just as national leaders warn it could soon become the dominant COVID-19 strain in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID tracker shows Florida has at least 72 cases of the variant as of June 15, Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Federal health officials have labeled Delta a “variant of concern,” a designation given to strains that show evidence of increased transmissibility or that cause a more severe disease.
The variant, scientifically known as B.1.617.2, is considered more likely to cause severe illness in unvaccinated people — symptoms develop more quickly and viral loads climb faster than in people infected with other variants.
Read more of this article from our news partner at The South Florida Sun Sentinel
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